Trevan whistled a jaunty tune, whittling away at the toy one of his grandsons had broken two days ago. The boy had been sobbing until Trevan assured him he could make it into a smaller but better toy, whereupon the tears dried up and the boy went skipping off to annoy his sisters and cousins.

Speaking of his descendants...Trevan frowned and set the toy and the knife on a table where the children couldn't reach them. His son was supposed to have been home today, yet there was no sign of him. He groaned as he got up, supporting himself on the table.

"Trevan!" Elyose scolded, sailing in the door. "I told you not to move! That knee will give out on you, you mark my words."

"Yes, dear," he said automatically, sitting down when she glared at him. "Any sign of Dirk?"
"He's home, just left to take the bags upstairs. Come on in, dear...this is my husband, Trevan."

Trevan raised an eyebrow at his wife and was about to ask her if she was hearing voices when a young woman stepped into the kitchen. She looked very shy, the poor thing, just like Kris when Dirk first dragged him home. "Ah, you must be Talia," he exclaimed, getting up again to kiss her hand. Ignoring Elyose's warning shout, he smiled warmly at the poor girl. "Welcome to our farm. Please excuse the chaos."

He was rewarded with a sudden, brilliant smile. "I grew up on a farm," she assured him. "It was much more chaotic with nine wives and twenty littles."

"Bright Astera! I can only imagine..." Trevan shuddered. "Not that my wife wouldn't kill me if I even dreamed of taking another wife."

"You had better believe it," Elyose added from over his shoulder. "Is it not said that 'the one who knows how to put you together also knows how to take you apart?'"

Talia laughed. "I can believe it...I've known a few Healers myself."

"All of whom complain about me," Dirk said, coming in the kitchen. He greeted Talia with a kiss, and Trevan was gratified to see that both of them lit up in the other's presence. "Hello, Father."

"About time you came home, lad," Trevan mock-snapped. "It's been three years!"

"Yes, yes, I know. Trouble in Haven. You must have heard..."

"Yes, we did," Elyose said, and rolled her eyes. "Mostly from that ruffian Skif."

"So here's where he's been going!" Talia exclaimed. "He keeps disappearing."

"Usually, yes. He visits about three times a year. I expect you two to come up here at least once. Twice when I've got grandchildren."

"Mother!" Dirk blushed, and so did Talia, but Trevan noted Talia's sudden embarrassment with interest.

After a while, Dirk took his wife to meet the rest of his family and Trevan was left alone with Elyose. "Well?" he asked.

"She's definitely pregnant," Elyose said, answering the unspoken question. "Not very far along...I daresay even she doesn't know for sure. But it's definite."

"Good." Trevan grinned at the door.

A/N: *ducks rotten flying fruit* Hey, I updated, didn't I? Put up with it. Philes in the audience…allow me to highly recommend a fanfic called The Adventures of Spender in Valdemar…it's highly entertaining. :)